Two of the most challenging public heath problems that account for significant morbidity and mortality are smoking and obesity. Over the last 20 years, while smoking prevalence rates have declined, obesity rates have increased sharply.

Obesity is high on the policy agenda in the UK as evidenced by the recent publication of the obesity strategy in England. It is widely acknowledged that bringing down rates of obesity will be a major challenge for public health and policymakers in coming decades.

The successes achieved with tobacco control offer valuable lessons for how this challenge may be addressed. This report reviews those strategies that have been effective against tobacco use and explores the scope for applying them to combat obesity.